Alpha Billionaire Series
Loving the One I Should Hate Epilogue

MANDY

Seven months later...

I loved the way the light reflected off the lake. I loved that with a laptop I could take the office anywhere and not be stuck in some office working. Sitting outside in shorts was so much better for my mental health. Having Grant mere feet away was also good for my well-being. And working with him had skyrocketed Play's position in the market. Technically he was only an advisor, but with his guidance, and unofficial partnering with Agon Athletics, MiMa Play was now in a position to introduce a new product line.

It had taken a hard six months with a specialty accountant to figure out everything that my father had done wrong. MiMa Play had been a successful company. My father worked too hard to make sure it was. He just didn't understand all the nuances of running the business- he worked much harder than he needed to. My brother, Michael, had managed to get thing slightly more organized before his untimely death. The company I inherited was a financial mess. Nothing intentionally negligent, or illegal, just incredibly messy. Now we were expanding internationally, and I was in negotiations with a new South American manufacturing partner, all from the front patio of Grant's Lake house.

I laughed. A year ago, I would have stabbed myself with a fork before letting this happen. A year ago, had misguided pride and the burden of the dreams of those before me. A year ago, I didn't realize I was in love with the most capable man in the world. "What?" he asked. "I love you," I said.

"I love you too. Now, what is so funny about that?" he asked.

He chuckled. "I wouldn't exactly say I ended up with your company. I did end up with you, and that's s

"I was just thinking, after everything that happened last year, and no matter how hard I fought, you stilenced up with MiMa Play."

n better."

Mike fussed in his playpen. Grant, the perfect, ever-doting father slid his laptop carefully onto the ground before getting up to pick our son up. No sooner than Grant had the baby in his arms than Mom swept onto the patio and was reaching to take Mike. "You don't have her yet. That's only an engagement ring on her finger," Mom said as she artfully took way from Grant.

That was rich coming from her. She knew she was one of the reasons we were not already married. She wanted to be, as she put it, completely recovered, whole again, before we got married. I don't think she realized I would have been perfectly content to have her in any form at my wedding.

She immediately cooed and tickled Mike's chubby baby thighs. "I thought I would take Mikey with me

"You just want to steal my son and show him off," Grant teased.

"Of course, I want to show my grandson off. He is simply the most beautiful baby, and..."

pick up some cake samplers."

"And if Erica Johnson should see him, it would only serve to remind her that she isn't a grandmother yet," I finished for her. Mom let out an indignant huff.

"Damn, that lose Library Society Ladies are vicious," Grant said.

"You have no idea," Mom confirmed.

"Did you order the orange marmalade cake?" I asked.

"I've ordered lemon poppyseed, orange marmalade, and double chocolate," Mom said.

"Mom," I whined. I kept telling her, and she kept pushing. "I don't want a chocolate wedding cake."

"Oh, I know. They don't know that at the bakery, and this way we can have some of their delicious double chocolate cake for my celebration. Ow," her smirk quickly changed to a grimace as baby Mike grabbed a handful of her short curly hair. Grant came to her rescue, extricating the chubby little fist.

"I can't wait for this to finish growing in. I just don't know what to do with all of these curls. My hair is not for testing fine motor skills," she complained.

My mother's hair had never been curly, but after the last successful treatment, it started growing back snowy white and in tight loopy curls. Her hair wasn't the only thing that had changed, she was healthier than ever. We were anxiously awaiting, okay I was anxious, Mom and Grant were both cool and nonplussed as we waited for her test results.

"What celebration?" I asked.

"My most recent six-month PET scans were clear," she announced.

"That's fantastic," Grant said as he wrapped his arms around her and Mike in a hug.

I was out of my chair and throwing my arms in for the group hug. "Oh Mom, that's the best news ever."

Last year had been so hard, so painful, she deserved all the good news.

"While I'm in town, I'm going to make you an appointment at Sally's Bridal."

"Mom, no. Please do not do that," I begged.

"Why not? They have some simple darling dresses in the front window."

"Sally's Bridal only caters to sample sizes. I am far from sample sized. I'm going to get my dress in Chicago. Vivica has a connection with some local designers. I want something unique, and not out of the pages of a magazine."

Mom hissed. "That sounds so expensive, Mandy. You really need to be more conscientious of your budget."

"I am, Mom, I promise." Neither Grant nor I would tell her what the budget was. Grant had given me a 'sky's the limit' number. I wasn't spending anywhere near that. But it was nice not to have to cut corners.

"Have you ordered your tux yet?" Mom turned on Grant.

He looked at me, momentarily panicked.

I laughed; it was his turn.

"The wedding isn't for another eight months, I have plenty of time," he said.

"That's what you think. Wedding venues get booked up, caterers and bakeries have waiting lists. How do you know they will have your size available for the dates you need if you don't reserve your suit? I would think you would appreciate the intricacies of organizing an event like a wedding. It's not much different than coordinating a product launch. You have to get your ducks in a row before you can expect them to all march in line."

"I can't say that marching ducks are how I conduct business, but I know what you mean," Grant laughed. "If it makes you feel better, I will have an appointment scheduled as soon as we are back in Chicago. But we already have the venue and the officiant. We have time for the rest."

Mom glared at Grant.

"Don't we?"

"You clearly have no idea how long it's going to take to select a menu and a caterer. I consider us lucky to have decided on a baker. We've been sampling cakes all summer and you still haven't determined a flavor."

I hated to burst Mom's bubble, but I had decided on my cake flavors after the very first sample cake. She just seemed to really enjoy going through all the options the baker had available. Plus, their cake was really good. Who was I to say no to weekly cake? I had settled on a basic vanilla cake with marzipan and orange marmalade filling between the layers with a simple cream cheese icing, to be decorated with roses and ribbons. Nothing overly fancy and dramatic. After all, we were planning on eating it more than looking at it.

"If you are planning on taking Mike with you, let me feed him and get him changed." I scooped my son from her arms and carried him inside leaving Mom and Grant to discuss the finer aspects of over-planning our wedding.

I would have been fine with something simple, but both Mom and Grant thought I deserved something grand and fairy tale quality. If they wanted to spoil me, I wasn't going to take that bit of joy away from them.

I carried Mike up to his room where I could breastfeed him and get him changed without an audience. Mike cooed and gurgled as I got him ready for an afternoon out with his grandmother. He would most likely spend the entire time asleep, but that didn't matter to her. I was so grateful that she had recovered and was here to take him on afternoon adventures.

I carried him back downstairs and talked to him as I prepped a bottle for him while they were out. "This is so Nana can feed you if you decide you get hungry again."

I continued to narrate my actions as I buckled him into his car seat and made sure his sunbonnet was on.

"Is my favorite boy ready to go?" Mom asked as she and Grant stepped into the house.

"He's all set. You have two bottles in the thermal bag, and I restocked the diaper bag yesterday. So, everything is ready."

"I'll go put the stroller in the back of your car." Grant held out his hand for her keys.

Mom picked up her purse and rummaged through locating her keychain. She handed them over and he was out the back.

"He takes good care of us, Mandy," Mom said.

"He really does. I got a good one. For a while, I didn't think I had, but he really is. Do you think Dad would have ever accepted him?" I hated to even think Grant and I were possible because my father wasn't around.

"I think your father is probably spinning in his grave over you and Grant. I loved your father, but he can spend the rest of eternity getting over himself. I like Grant. He's a good father, and he adores you." She kissed my temple.

I had been so afraid that she wouldn't accept Grant. They seemed to genuinely get along. I was the luckiest woman in the world.

"All set," Grant announced, coming back in. He picked up the car seat with Mike and headed back outside.

I watched through the open back door as Grant put the baby's car seat in the back. He gave my mom a kiss on the cheek and came back in, wrapping his arms around me. We stood there watching as Mom pulled out of the driveway for her afternoon in town with the baby.

"You know, your mother reminded me of something earlier," Grant started.

"Oh yeah, what?"

"The wedding is in just over eight months," he said.

I sighed, it seemed so far away, but I knew it would be here in the blink of an eye. "Yeah, it is."

"Well, if we get started right now, we could have kid number two by then."

He tickled me, and I began giggling. I grabbed his hand, and we ran upstairs. I had no intention of getting pregnant right then, but a little practice wouldn't hurt.